HomeGrid Likes MIMO For G.hn

BEAVERTON, Ore. -- During the latest ITU-T Study Group 15 plenary, the G.hn work group saw the culmination of months of study with agreement on a draft new standard (ITU-T G.9963) called G.hn-mimo that adds state-of-the-art MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) technology to the G.hn standard for high-speed networking over existing home wiring.

The HomeGrid Forum fully supports this new standard, stating that the addition of MIMO will significantly increase robustness, rate, and coverage, making G.hn by far the premier home networking technology, especially in very challenging noise environments such as powerlines in the home.

The group of ITU-T experts that last year completed the development of the G.hn standard for networking over existing home wiring (i.e. powerlines, phone lines and coaxial cable) has been developing a new standard that adds MIMO to G.hn. The specification is initially focusing on powerline as this is the most challenging wired medium. MIMO works by using the multiple paths available because power wires have 3 conductors (phase, neutral and ground). G.hn-mimo standard devices will be able to send traffic streams over multiple paths simultaneously and thus increase throughput rates and noise robustness. In cases where a communication path is affected by impairments, other paths can be used to compensate and hence ensure full coverage and persistent delivery of content. ITU-T

G.9963 is the first powerline MIMO specification to be developed by an international SDO (Standards Development Organization). As G.hn-mimo is an enhancement to G.hn, G.hn devices with MIMO are fully interoperable with devices built to the G.hn standard approved in 2010.

The technical work on G.hn-mimo is due for completion by July 2011, with Consent (official ITU-T Recommendation status) expected in Fall 2011.

"Service Providers and equipment vendors that are planning to start G.hn deployments this year need to have a clear view of the G.hn road map and which enhancements are coming," said Matt Theall, President of HomeGrid Forum. "G.hn is already the best standards-based solution for any wired home networking application, and the G.hn-mimo enhancements will ensure that G.hn will continue to be the best for years to come."

HomeGrid Forum